N ed Thompson's wife Margo never liked the woodshop Ned kept for 23 years in their Portsmouth home's basement. Every time he cut something, sawdust would seep up through the old floorboards into the living room. Ned, who owns a company that manufactures all-purpose canvas, wasn’t thrilled about the space either. It was dark and he didn’t like hiding himself away when he wanted to indulge in his hobby, which was several times a week. When they moved across town to an 18th century Colonial on the Piscataqua River both the Thompsons were much happier. Ned got a small but bright outbuilding that he could happily renovate into a woodshop. Margo got a dust-free living room.

N ed Thompson’s wife Margo never liked the woodshop Ned kept for 23 years in their Portsmouth home’s basement. Every time he cut something, sawdust would seep up through the old floorboards into the living room. Ned, who owns a company that manufactures all-purpose canvas, wasn’t thrilled about the space either. It was dark and he didn’t like hiding himself away when he wanted to indulge in his hobby, which was several times a week. When they moved across town to an 18th century Colonial on the Piscataqua River both the Thompsons were much happier. Ned got a small but bright outbuilding that he could happily renovate into a woodshop. Margo got a dust-free living room.

The outbuilding was built in the 1920s and used to store the previous owner’s equipment-- he was a boat builder. It had been constructed on top of a dock and a third of it was cantilevered over the river. By the time Ned got it, the building and its foundation was in such bad repair that he was afraid the whole thing might fall into the water. The slab was cracked and broken. Panes of glass were missing and cardboard had been tacked up to block the weather. Also, the building’s studs were badly deteriorated and had to be completely replaced – all typical for a building so close to the water but no less disconcerting. The first thing Ned did was remove the cracked foundation and pour a new one with radiant heating tubes.

To ensure the cantilevered building would remain on dry ground, he made the slab 8 ins. thick. After replacing the framing studs, Ned added a second floor office, then he wired the building with extra outlets for his power tools. Since the space was so small – 320 sq. ft. in total – Ned made sure his workbench, power tools, even his wood storage bin was on wheels to be easily moved out of the way. He also made drawers, cabinets, brackets, and a few of his own creations to store his tools and materials. Now Ned spends several evenings a week and every Sunday in his workshop, happily piecing together projects that range from birdhouses to built-ins for a sailboat he keeps moored at the end of the dock. He’s close to the neighborhood road so friends often stop by to chat when they see the lights on in the workshop. Unlike the basement he used to work in, his new space allows him to see anyone coming and going from his house. It’s like having a room to himself and being able to keep an eye on everything else at the same time.

No resources found.To become a resource or post a classified, click here.

GET LOCAL RESULTS:SEARCH:

No resources found.To become a resource or post a classified, click here.

Become a resource and connect with affluent customers who are bringing their dream garages to life every day.

By creating an ad below, you will become a dreamgarage.com resource for three months. One week before your ad expires, you will receive an email detailing your renewal options. Follow the easy steps below to create your ad. You can edit your ad 24/7.